Tokyo ? Global sales of the Nintendo DS handheld topped 100 million in 4 years and 3 months — a milestone reached at the quickest pace for any video game console — the Japanese manufacturer said today.

Worldwide sales of the DS, which hit stores in November 2004, topped 100 million on March 6, Kyoto-based Nintendo Co. said in a release.

The number combines sales for the original DS, the improved DS lite, and the third-generation Nintendo DSi, already on sale in Japan and planned for overseas markets next month.